Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | Feb 02, 2005 07:54am | #1

   I hardly ever use a lathe..  But I would suggest to cut partially... Rest a week or so and then finish.. But then again ya never know about what wood will do!

    

2. 
   joinerswork | Feb 02, 2005 04:12pm | #2

   Hacker,

   If your design will allow, try to support/connect together near the centers...In any case, I'd rip to 1"x1", let them rest.  Discard any that warp, then dress the remainder to 3/4"x3/4".  Let them rest, then discard any that warp.  Mahogany is pretty stable, you'll likely be ok, but spindles that size and length are, well, pretty spindly.   I'd be as concerned about strength as stability.

   Regards,

   Ray

1. 
   donbutler | Feb 02, 2005 05:07pm | #3

   Hacker,

   Just to add to the good advice already given, once you get to finished spindles that look pretty good, seal them well with varnish. That will prevent excessive moisture changes that contribute to warping, bowing and so forth.

   Best regards

   Don

3. 
   nikkiwood | Feb 02, 2005 05:52pm | #4

   Ray's advice is very sound. Cutting your spindles in two stages will tell you within a day or two (usually) which ones are going to warp.

   Assuming you are cutting your spindles from 3/4" stock, and assuming you will be running the cut edges through a planer, here's my suggestion:

   Cut your stock to length; then do one cut, wide enough to get it through the planer. If that one spindle warps after a couple of days, I would set the rest of the entire board aside for some other use. I would say there is a high probablility the other spindles cut from that board will also warp.

   You shouldn't have much trouble, since mahogany is one of the most stable woods.

   Good luck.

4. 
   migraine | Feb 02, 2005 09:43pm | #5

   My advise would be to make rip these pieces to 1" wide and stright line them down to almost  3/4" wide and then run the on a shaper or router with a 1/2 round bit(double bullnose).  This is how alot of dowels are now made. 

   I have done this exact method for prior work and it really doesn't take much time, especially compared to a lathe.  We ran around 1500 lin' of cherry this way and then cut them into 14" lenghts

   The trick is to find a 1/2 round bit that is an exact round.  I actually had to have my shaper cutter re-ground for this purpose.

   As another poster mensioned, I'd think that 3/4" dowels might be to "spindely"?   How about using 5/4 surfaced to 1"?

1. 
   hacker454 | Feb 03, 2005 02:19am | #6

   Thanks for all the suggestions.  I will follow the advice of letting them sit for a couple of days and possible moving up the size to 1" x 1". 

    

   Maybe spindles was not such a good word, these "spindles" will remain square. So what does that make them ?:).

   Hacker

1. 
   highfigh | Feb 03, 2005 02:22am | #7

   Check and try to match the grain before you cut them. This way, they have a better chance of doing the same thing when they dry. I mean the end grain, not the face. Matching face grain look good but means that they won't all be straight after they dry."I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

   Edited 2/2/2005 6:23 pm ET by highfigh

2. 
   nikkiwood | Feb 03, 2005 05:42am | #8

   I guess I was the only one who assumed they would be square.I still call them spindles.